INDEPENDENT LIVING SPECIALIST

Responsibilities:

Promote independent living (IL) opportunities for persons with a disability by providing advocacy and independent living skills training, identifying assistive technology, coordinating community services and case management.

Essential Function:

· Provide individual and systems advocacy to promote independent living for persons with disabilities.

· Travel to consumers' homes or meet with them virtually if needed to complete intake assessments, identifies independent living goals and assists in development of a plan to achieve those goals.

· Provide independent living services to consumers including but not limited to IL skills trainings, equipment loan, information and referral, advocacy, coordination of services, etc.

· Develop and maintain a working knowledge of community and area resources.

· Respond to inquiries for information and provide referrals as appropriate.

· Maintain accurate case records and required reporting (this includes timely entering of activities and consumer contacts)

· IL staff are responsible for accurately recording 100% (8 hours) of your daily time in database system.

· Promote IL philosophy and disability awareness to consumers, service agencies, and the general public through presentations, awareness trainings, exhibits, etc.

· Attend trainings and conferences to increase and maintain knowledge of disability related issues and provision of IL and related services.

· May have designation or emphasis such as, accessibility, assistive technology, benefits, home modification, peer support, and youth or transition services.

Qualifications:

· Rehabilitation-related Bachelors' degree or two - three years’ disability related work experience. Additional education may be substituted for one year of experience.

· Knowledge of independent living philosophy and goals.

· Experience with case management and maintaining a caseload of 20 – 30 consumers

· Familiarity with community resources.

· Effective verbal and written communication skills.

· Ability to travel independently

Skills and Demands:

· Language skills: ability to read and interpret documents. Ability to write reports. Ability to speak effectively.

· General knowledge of computer applications (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Adobe, Zoom, MS Teams).

· Mathematical skills: ability to add, subtract, multiply

· Reasoning skills: ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out agency goals and follow instructions furnished in written and oral form.

· Physical demands: able to successfully perform the essential functions of their job.